I realize this blog has been sounding really bitter lately (the url of this blog becoming 'fitting') - and honestly, it's really not-so-much like that at all. That's not to brush aside a lot of what I've been dealing with lately, but at the same time, lately things aren't nearly as 'terrible' as they've been in the past. Maybe I've just learned to adapt better though, I don't know.
One underlying thing that is constantly in the air.. brewing tension inside.. perhaps unnecessary tension (because I really should just give it over to God and stop worrying about it).. is... politics. Especially at my school, where a good majority are republicans. Most of these people adopt what I call a "dependent" political outlook - based on a particular stage of an identity model that I learned in psychology (not going to get into it.. but the model is technically not related to the adoption of an identity in the political aspect, but I'm considering it as a thesis for some sort of undergrad. research .. after receiving some encouragement from a graduate student to pursue the idea).. anyway..
I feel constantly on the defense here.. and constantly fighting for this election.. because a lot of people here are 'undecided' as well (which is funny, because it goes to support the dependent theory). They are swaying toward voting republican, simply along party lines because of their parents' political beliefs. It gets me so angry. I try to stay calm though, and tend to be polite about trying to understand their perspective on candidates.. because I genuinely want to know why these people insist that Bush is better over Kerry. I'm not advocating that Kerry is THE answer to the problems that we face, but look people!!.. wake up!! We are being lied to... power is being abused .. stop living in fear of change and face the fact that we are headed down a grim road!.. it's not a question of whether Kerry can do better.. it's a matter of *knowing the facts* (actions speak louder than words) and realizing we are looking toward a scary future as a result of the actions Bush has taken in the last 4 years.. international relations are terrible.. the economy is terrible and getting worse (don't let Bush fool you that everything is looking just peachy).. education continues to suck and is getting worse... there is a terrible overcrowding of jails as a result of the "war on drugs" (again not a good broad plan on how to handle this problem.. simply 'throw 'em in jail' solution is not helping anything)... guns are going to be back on the streets as a result of Bush not signing the bill to keep them off.. and great.. no police to go along with that problem because we're cutting those funds!... don't get me started on the social security problem and the enormous deficit.... inflation....
seriously... I can just go on and on.. and the counterarguments I've heard against my own are weak.. .. tell me a good reason why Bush should be re-elected based upon the problems we face in our world today?.. True he's lead us through some rocky times, but this could have been done in a *much* more efficient way... Bush is just-getting-by... using money that we don't have.. all of his solutions are so narrow in sight that in a broad outlook we can see it all coming back to kick us in the ass 10-fold. And who's going to get kicked in the ass people??? Not the old people who get rich off of Bush's legislation, that's for sure.
woo!! MTV (who is taking a huge initiative in getting people registered to vote) announced 69% feel Kerry should win! Granted it wasn't a scientific poll at all (text message in via cell phone), but it's a nice sign...
still.. my age group is apathetic in voting.. even with their understanding of how important this election is.. they WANT to vote.. but a lot of people in my age group just aren't responsible in taking the initiative to make their vote happen. Seriously, if I just barely got my ballot in (and didn't realize it had to be RECEIVED by the 1st).. and this is something I'm pretty passionate about.. I'm not sure how good other people are going to be about it.. a lot of people are asking me to help them with their absentee and whatnot.. and a lot of people think they have to mail their ballot in (post-marked) by the 1st.. obviously that isn't the case.
Lin *
Jason
Sarah
Phil